Victim of Highway 166 fatal head-on crash identified

The Kern County Coroner has identified the victim of a fatal accident Monday on Highway 166 as a 19-year-old from Lebec.

Benjamin Grajeda was killed instantly when his 1999 Honda Accord collided head-on with a welding truck driven by a Taft man.

The welding truck driver, Gary Mock, 32 escaped serious injury.

The California Highway Patrol said Grajeda was east bound on Highway 166 an at unknown rate of speed when he began traveling on the south shoulder after coming up on slower traffic that was stopping for traffic ahead.

The Honda re-entered traffic, but the driver lost control, the CHP said, and traveled across the eastbound lane, through the center medan and collided head on with the welding truck, a Dodge Ram 3500.

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